Corners--Good and Bad

Talk about things which I have never heard of, rhenium would be very high on the list. It makes not difference; anything which costs $11,000 per kilo should be known about, especially as it is up from $300 per kilo in the 1990s. The Production rate of 50 tons per year makes am excellent Holding asset. The only danger would be discovery of some great deposit of the Stuff somewhere in the ground. I would be looking for about 50,000 tons of the metal, if I were a young geologist. I can only wish I was Anthony Lippman with his little Corner so vitally desired. Us ordinary people find it so hard to make a Living, kids!

I like the Sense of this Post, but understand the terrible destruction of the Goals inherent; Politicians are not about to surrender their political patronage regime. None of these Enactments will work unless Caps are first placed on assumable Debt by the Legislatures. Government Expenditures must be cut, of course, but will not be curtailed without Constitutional amendment. The trouble comes in the fact that it must be done at the State level, as the federal Government is already too overpowering with extreme reach into the lives of ordinary Americans. I would like to see something like imitations of the Federal Reserve in every State, with State Constitutional amendment stating State Governments could only borrow from these central Banks. Normative Banking procedures could bring some restraint to Legislative excess.

Mark Thoma does not see much manipulation of the Oil markets by Speculators, though I might disagree. Fundamentals rely on Supply being tight, and advances in Inventory will bring Price relief; a marked Event not truly witnessed in the Oil markets, after Saudi increases in Production, or reduction in Consumer Demand. I have also often witnessed a upward flair of Oil price shortly before the close of Markets, to insure Overnight, After-Market Sales range higher than the normal daily Run; most obviously to impact Asian markets. We get a new vetted Oil price by Market Open because of this practice. It must be said the entire Argument revolves around the exact definition of the Word: Fundamentals. lgl